Electronic devices are ubiquitous in society and can be found in everything from toaster ovens to set-top cable boxes. With the proliferation of integrated circuitry, these electronic devices are becoming more and more sophisticated. Many of these electronic devices—especially consumer electronic devices—include the ability to be remotely controlled by a user. The user expects to be able to harness the full functionality of the particular electronic device remotely, and therefore, the remote control electronics are also becoming more and more sophisticated. This increased sophistication of the remote control electronics presents special power consumption problems because the remote control electronics are usually battery powered.
Thus, there is a need for an apparatus and method for reducing power consumption of remote control electronics.